parkrun profile: Carlisle

Carlisle is a historic city and the county town of Cumbria, and home toCarlisle parkrun every Saturday morning.

Co-Event Director Lindsay Graham tells us more about her home event…

I first got involved with parkrun when my husband contacted parkrun to facilitate the activation of Carlisle parkrun and I eventually took over from him as Co-Event Director when he took on more responsibilities through the Ambassador programme.

Carlisle parkrun has real community spirit and my Saturday’s just wouldn’t be the same without seeing my parkrun family. Everyone receives the warmest welcome and is supported equally no matter where they are on their walk, jog or run journeys!

I was once able to say we were the most northerly parkrun in England, however this is now longer the case… So instead I would definitely say the welcome you get and friendliness of the local parkrunners makes us popular with tourists!

We have two courses; the main course is a three lap undulating course with mixed terrain of tarmac path, gravel and grass. In the winter months, the bottom of this course floods and the grass becomes super muddy so we then have our second course which is a five-lapped course on tarmac paths.

To be honest lots of people groan at the idea of a multi-lap course but I love it because it is a great training session of hills and recovery.

Our most famous landmark is probably our roundabout. This is a popular marshal point which is usually marshalled by Susan. Depending on the time of year you may find Susan dressed up; our particular favourite was her giant turkey suit at Christmas! So if you visit us, make sure you say hello to Susan!

Carlisle parkrun has many stories to tell about our regulars from a person discovering they had cancer after going for an x-ray after a fall during a warm-up, to many people using parkrun as a way to manage their mental wellbeing.

I bet everyone would have a story to tell about how parkrun has touched their lives and if you are lucky, I may even tell you about my first ever experience of parkrun if you visit!

There is a cafe at Morton Manor where the parkrun starts – this is great for a post-parkrun cuppa and breakfast and if you have time, the core team and a few others have a second cafe Sainsbury’s cafe which is a short drive/longer walk away (there are usually lifts on offer too!).

Everyone is welcome and we love it when tourists come along and join us. In fact we have made many friends this way!

The NHS 70th birthday parkrun celebration in 2018 showed just how big an impact parkrun has had on our local community, and the community of Cumbria. We had a massive record attendance of participants but more amazingly we had 50 plus volunteers!

Carlisle parkrun actively seeks to reduce social isolation and loneliness and increase people’s confidence to come along and be themselves. Since Carlisle parkrun started, their Event Directors, as parkrun Ambassadors, supported a further five parkruns activate including two junior parkruns.

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Durham parkrun can be found every Saturday morning in Durham City, in the north east of England. Clare Clish from Durham parkrun takes us inside her home event… My friend Andrew Hopkins kept nagging me to go along to parkrun and so eventually I caved in and went along to see what it…

Spring is just around the corner so to celebrate the clocks going forward, why not join our friends at Millbrook Beds in your pyjamas for the next parkrun in pyjamas on Saturday 30 March. There were some amazing photos and pyjamas at the parkrun in pyjamas last year! Millbrook Beds have five award-winning hand-made mattresses to be won…